Next-gen smartphones could feature eight-core processors

This trick could be repeated in 2013, when eight core chips could find their way into brand new devices, according to GSMArena.

Samsung is apparently leading the pack with a fresh processor that will effectively bolt two quad core CPUs together using ARM architecture.

In this setup, a lower powered quad core chip will operate the phone’s general functions that are not too processor intensive, with the more powerful unit coming into action when a bit more juice is required.

This setup sounds sensible although there are other scalable CPU solutions, which might not require quite so many physical cores.

The problem is that Samsung and its Android rivals have started a bit of an arms race when it comes to processing power and you could argue that the software is simply not on the same level, since there is nothing that contemporary handsets like the Galaxy S3 cannot handle.

That is not to say that more advanced apps and operating systems will not appear at some point, but that 2013 may not be the year in which an eight core smartphone will really be necessary.